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What am I missing?

When discussing streaming we often hear the quality achieved by streaming compared to "cd quality". "Cd quality" seems often to be the standard by which streaming is favorably compared while cds have at the same widely fallen into disfavor as a medium. If "cd quality" continues to be a quality standard by which we judge streaming services -which it appears to be- why exactly do we hold cds in such disfavor? More sophisticated dacs can always be employed with cd transports as they are with streaming. I understand the convenience and storage issues with cds but I also understand that with streaming you will never own the music which you do with cds. This becomes even more unclear to me when considering the resurgence of vinyl and the storage and convenience issues involved with this medium. I don't believe the music industry ever wanted us to own the music we listen to but rather preferred we only rent and pay for that music each time.

128x128pmiller115
soix
9,456 posts
 

@retiredfarmer There's also a huge difference between a $5000 and $20,000 streaming system.  @ghdprentice can tell you all about that.  

phd
1,316 posts
 

I don't think CD sales are up. but they should be. Lets think of this logically, why would you buy CDs if you can stream your music for free. However you should be buying all the CDs you can get your hands on because that is the format including DVDs they want to do away with. When you find out the existing storage suddenly disappears you got nobody to blame but yourself. Ha!

mirolab
208 posts
 

"CD Quality" is nothing more than a bitrate. (which happens to be 1411 kbps).  The audio that comes over those bits is what you should REALLY care about.... and what comes over the streaming networks is NOT the same as what you get from the actual CD.... much less if it's a 20+ year old CD.  Nearly everything on streamers has been remastered to be very loud and compressed, BUT I'd rather hear an old 80's CD recorded with primitive A/D converters, that still retains it's natural dynamics.  Some remasters are done sensitively, but not often in popular pop & rock genres.    

falconquest's avatar
falconquest
1,108 posts
 

I think it’s important in this conversation to include the artists who create the music. Whatever format you use, please remember that we have to support the artists or there won’t be music to listen to.

curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
4,715 posts
 

Quality is what I’m looking for. I’ve had good sounding records and bad sounding records. The same with cassettes, reel to reel, CD’s and even some HD downloads! Poop in, poop out, no matter the format or in some cases, reformat.

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